1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic energy producing apparatus. More particularly, it relates to an engine or generator utilizing magnetic pistons to produce energy by interfering with the repulsive magnetic force of like polarity permanent magnets associated with said pistons thereby moving said pistons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetism is a phenomenon by which materials exert an attractive or repulsive force upon other materials. Some well known materials that exhibit detectable magnetic properties include iron and steel, a metal alloy whose major component is iron with carbon being the primary alloying material. However, all materials are influenced to a greater or lesser degree by the presence of magnetic fields. Magnetic forces are fundamental forces that occur from the movement of an electrical charge. Accordingly, magnetism is present whenever electrically charged particles are in motion. This can happen from movement of electrons in an electric current, resulting in electromagnetism, or from quantum-mechanical spin and orbital motion of electrons, resulting in what is now known as permanent magnets.
Magnetic fields are made of dipoles, two equal and opposite point charges, and are commonly referred to as the “North pole” and the “South pole” or the positive and negative charged sides. As well known in the prior art, two magnets of like poles repulse one another while two magnets of different poles attract one another. This is because a magnetic dipole tends to align itself in an opposed polarity to that magnetic field, thereby canceling the net field strength as much as possible and lowering the energy stored in that field to a minimum.
As stated before, there are two types of magnets known in the prior art, electromagnets and permanent magnets. Electromagnets rely upon an electric current to generate a magnetic field such that when the current increases so does the magnetic field. The simplest type of electromagnet is a coiled piece of wire, such as a solenoid. The magnetic field is generated when an electrical charge is placed on the wire. A much stronger magnetic field can be produced if said wire is wrapped around a core of paramagnetic or ferromagnetic material, such as iron. The magnetic field produced by the coil causes the core to magnetize and thereby produce an even stronger total magnetic field than that of the coil alone. A very useful type of electromagnetic is that which is seen in junk yards whereby large cranes having an electromagnet attached to a bottom end move over a vehicle to pick it up. By charging the electromagnet, the vehicle is magnetically attracted to the magnet and can be moved and subsequently released by eliminating the charge to the electromagnet. There are some disadvantages to electromagnets, such as when residual magnetization remains from the process of turning the electromagnetic on and off. This is known as hysteresis which can build up (aggregately) to a point such that even when the electric charge is turned off, the magnetic properties of the electromagnet remains present, residually.
Permanent magnets do not rely on an induced electric charge (or other outside influence) to generate a magnetic field. They are simply inherently magnetic due to quantum mechanical spin of the particles (protons, neutrons and electrons) that make up all matter. Because of a phenomenon known as “long range ordering,” some materials exhibit a stronger magnetic filed than others. Examples of permanent magnets include Rare Earth or Neodymium magnets, Samarian-Cobalt magnets, Ceramic magnets, Plastic magnets and Alnico magnets.
The use of magnetism to produce energy is known in the prior art. For many years people have been trying to harness the energy associated with magnets and the energy that can be produced from their use in motors, generators and switches. However, much is left to be developed.
The use of magnetism to produce energy is more environmentally friendly (i.e., cleaner), cost effective and more efficient than the use of fossil fuels. Accordingly, there has been a surge in inventions in this technology. There is no doubt that in industrialized countries of the world, and in emerging third world countries, there is an addiction to natural resources. This addiction is no greater than that of the addiction to oil. Countries such as the United States consume as much as 20 million barrels of oil every day. China, currently the fastest growing nation in the world consumes upwards of 6.5 million barrels of oil a day and its consumption is on the rise. But oil, like so many other natural resources, is of a limited quantity. And, its supply and demand is extremely political causing governmental tension and sometimes war. It is likely that the world could be completely devoid of any oil within a hundred years. And the Earth will simply not be able to naturally produce anymore oil for millions of years. Further, fossil fuels are extremely hazardous to the environment and cause huge amounts of waste of which are both volatile and difficult to dispose. So what are people going to do? Most likely, people will look to alternative means of energy production, including, but not limited to hydro-electric, wind and solar. But these forms of energy production can also be limited in that the on-going destruction and manipulation of the environment could have an adverse effect on how we harness these important natural resources. Therefore, many people have looked to use of magnets and magnetism.
Many have attempted to use magnets in motors and generators. Reasons for their use include that they operate cleanly, they are efficient, cost effective, easy to produce or are readily available, and most importantly their use reduces our additive use to fossil fuels, like oil.
One such example of a magnetic energy producing apparatus is U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,486 to Minato wherein a magnetic rotation apparatus is provided with first and second rotors rotatably supported and juxtaposed such that they are rotatable in opposite, but in a cooperating manner. Permanent magnets are employed wherein one magnetic polarity is located radially outward from the rotors while the other magnetic polarity is located inward towards the rotors. The attractive force of the opposite polarities rotates the wheels. An electromagnet can be introduced into the system to change polarities to make the rotors reverse directions. However, this invention fails to appreciate the equal and just as powerful force of repulsion in a system wherein magnets of like polarity are positioned in close proximity to one another for moving an energy producing device. Further, the use of electromagnets to reverse directions complicates the invention and requires an additional power source to apply current to said electromagnets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,034 to Wortham provides for a vehicle having a magnetic motor. The engine block of the motor has multiple cylinders for receiving magnetic pistons attached to a crankshaft and with electromagnets mounted in the engine head for magnetically operating the magnetic pistons by electric current reversal. This invention too complicates the art by introducing a system that requires a current producing device to reverse directions of the pistons. The need to change polarities to affect piston reversal is also inefficient and costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,724 to Patton has many of the same problems. A plurality of permanently polarized ceramic magnets is located upon a plurality of pistons, each mounted in a cylinder. An electromagnet is located at each end of each cylinder and is energized to alternately attract and repel the ceramic magnet so that each piston is caused to reciprocate in the cylinder under the influence of electromagnetism. The need to enter an energy source to provide a current to the electromagnet is inefficient and complicates this magnet motor. Further, it is known that electromagnets lose some of their magnetic power over time and are not ideal for use in a pure magnetic generating apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,146 to Takara also utilizes a magnetic piston inside of a cylinder. However, in this reference, the cylinder is alternately magnetized by electromagnetism to cause attraction and repulsion moving the piston up and down. Again, electromagnetism is used thereby requiring a more complicated system and a current generating device to apply to said electromagnet. Additionally, hysteresis can occur over-time after use thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,019 describes an apparatus and process for generating energy though the use of a rotating shaft that is moved by magnets in a single circular direction. Permanent magnets are disposed about a bottom plate member and work in coincidence with an opposed polarity magnet on a top plate member. An electromagnet is disposed at an end of the row of permanent magnets to operate a continuous flow of said shaft.
Clearly, the prior art demonstrates that magnetic energy producing apparatuses are known, but that there are improvements needed in the art. Too many of the advancements in the art rely upon electromagnets which complicate systems by requiring additional power sources and control mechanisms to switch current in and out of said electromagnets. Further, it is known that electromagnets can degrade in quality (ability to produce a workable magnetic field) over time. There is no suggestion in the prior art to utilize the natural attractive and repulsive magnetic force of permanent magnets with at least two pistons working in coincidence such that while one piston is attracting to a magnetic material, the other piston is repulsing from two magnets of like polarity exposed to one another for moving a flywheel system in one continuous direction. Clearly, the prior art has failed to suggest that the interference of a repelling magnetic field can be used to harness energy.